


Meeting the Phantom

by serena221b



Category: Broadway RPF, Phantom of the Opera - Lloyd Webber RPF
Genre: Bisexual Female Character, Broadway, F/F, Lesbian Character, Mentor/Protégé, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 09:25:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14329446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serena221b/pseuds/serena221b
Summary: Roommates and partners Naomi Byrne and Giana Durham have been given two tickets to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway as research for their own production. They have also been given the opportunity to spend some time with the principal actor for Monsieur Andre/Phantom understudy, Laird Mackintosh. And believe me, it is a night neither of them will ever forget.





	1. Characters

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, we need more love in the Broadway RPF department for POTO, especially for my favorite Phantom, Laird Mackintosh! So, I am going to fix that right now! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naomi is on the left, Giana is on the right. I am including their outfits in the next chapter.

 


	2. Outfits

Naomi's outfit is on the left, Giana's outfit is on the right.


	3. Meeting the Phantom

“Naomi Elle Byrne, if you aren’t out of there in the next ten minutes, I will come in there and get you whether you’re ready or not!” my roommate yelled from outside of the dorm. “Hold your horses! I’ll be out in two minutes, tops!” I yelled from the bathroom. “You better!” she yelled back.

My name is Naomi Byrne. The girl yelling at me to hurry up is my girlfriend and roommate, Giana Durham. And before you ask, I am bisexual.

Giana and I are freshmen at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, or AMDA, of New York. And thanks to our Musical Theatre director, Rhys Martin, we are about to see our very first live Broadway show. To make things even better, we’re seeing  _Phantom of the Opera_ , our favorite Broadway musical of all time, AND we got backstage passes. But I had to hurry, or as Giana said, she would come in there and get me whether I was ready or not. I straightened my dress, grabbed my purse, and walked out of our dorm, where my girlfriend was waiting. She smiled when she saw the mask that I was wearing. “You were right. Wearing masks to the show was a great idea. And I like the one that you picked out,” I said. “Yours looks good, too. Very Phantomesque,” she said. I laughed. “Nice one. So, shall we go?” I asked. “Yeah, we really need to go. We’ve got ten minutes before the line starts to get too long,” she said. “I am so glad that I’m seeing this show with you,” I said, giving her a quick kiss before we walked out of the dorm area and caught a taxi. “Where to, ladies?” the driver asked. “The Majestic Theatre,” said Giana. “Going to see  _Phantom of the Opera_  tonight, are we?” he asked. “Yes we are. It’s our first time seeing it live and our Musical Theatre director managed to get us backstage passes as well,” I said. “You girls AMDA students?” he asked. “Yeah,” we said. “I thought so. Rhys Martin used to be in  _Phantom of the Opera_ himself, which is how he’s able to get his first year students the chance to meet the cast,” he said as he started driving. “Yeah, he told us about that. He played Raoul from 2011 to 2013,” said Giana (A/N: Rhys Martin is a character that I made up and I highly doubt that what Giana just said is actually true). “You ladies are in for a treat. The cast right now is absolutely amazing, especially Laird Mackintosh, who is playing the Phantom tonight in place of James Barbour. He’ll give you lots of great pointers on Musical Theatre and acting in general,” he said. “Good to know,” I said as the taxi pulled up a block away from the Majestic. After we paid the driver, we gathered our things and got out. “Thanks for the lift!” said Giana. “No problem. You ladies have a great night,” he said. “Thank you,” we said as he drove off. Then, we walked inside and went up to the ticket booth. “We have two tickets under ‘Martin’,” I said. The lady in the booth looked through the list and found the reservation that Rhys made. “You must be two of his freshmen students,” she said. “Yeah. How did you know?” asked Giana. “Rhys always chooses two of his first years to attend Phantom around this time of year. Besides, he told the cast that you would be coming tonight. Anyways, here are your tickets. Just go up to the front of the stage after the show and an usher will show you backstage. Enjoy the show,” she said. “Thank you,” I said. Once we found our seats in the hall, which were relatively close to the stage, we sat down and looked at the program. “It’s a good thing that we’ve both heard Sara Jean Ford sing before. But I’ve honestly never heard Laird Mackintosh. Apparently he normally plays Monsieur Andre. Have you heard him before?” I asked. “I've seen some bootlegs. I really like him. I have a feeling that you will, too,” she said. “I’ll take your word on that,” I said as we both turned off our cell phones and put them in our purses. And around that time, the show started.

 

A/N: For those of you who have never heard Laird Mackintosh or Sara Jean Ford, I'm putting in a couple of clips that I found. I’m also putting them in here so you can get an idea of what Naomi and Giana heard during the show.

 

[Phantom of the Opera](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2tsmbk)

[Final Lair](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLgad8KB35A)

 

The show was absolutely fantastic. “You were right, Giana. Laird is amazing as the Phantom,” I said. “I know, right? Let’s go and head on up to the front of the stage,” she said as we got our stuff. And just like the ticket clerk said, an usher was waiting for us onstage. “Are you two Naomi Byrne and Giana Durham?” he asked. “Yeah,” we said. “Please follow me,” he said. Then, we followed him backstage and were asked to sit down on a bench. “Wait here. Mr. Mackintosh will be with you two in a moment,” he said as he walked off. Giana and I silently fangirled. “I can’t believe we’re actually going to meet Laird Mackintosh!” I whispered. “I know. And I can’t believe that we’re going to meet him together,” she said as she kissed me. ‘What is she doing? We can’t do this now! Not here!’ I thought as I abruptly pulled away. “Giana, what are you doing?! We can’t do this in public! Someone might see!” I exclaimed. Giana sighed as she took my hand. “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, Naomi. I don’t want this to be a secret. We’re a couple, and I want everyone to know it. And if someone doesn’t like it, then they’re a jerk. Everyone should be allowed to be in a relationship with whoever they choose, no matter what gender they are,” she said. “And I totally agree with that,” said a voice. Giana and I turned to see Laird Mackintosh walking towards us. “See?! At least he agrees with me,” she said. “I take it that you’re Rhys’s students?” he asked. “Yeah. I’m Giana Durham, and this is my girlfriend, Naomi Byrne,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” he paused as he shook hands with us. “By the way, I love the masks. Who’s idea was it?” he asked. “It was Giana’s idea. She thought that since it was our first time seeing a live Broadway show, we should wear something special. And since we were seeing  _Phantom of the Opera_ , she decided for us to wear masquerade masks,” I said. “Well, you both look amazing. Come with me. We can talk more in my dressing room. That was the last show of the day, so we’ve got plenty of time to spend together,” he said. “Sounds good,” we said. Then, we followed Laird into his dressing room and sat down on the couch, while Laird went over to the kitchen. “Can I get you ladies anything to drink?” he asked. “You got any chamomile?” I asked. “As a matter of fact, I do. I was just about to make some for myself. Tea works wonders on the voice, you know. And chamomile is perfect for winding down after a show,” he said as he started the pot.

A few minutes later, Laird was sitting in a chair across from us while we drank our tea. Giana and I had also removed our masks per Laird’s request. “You two are very beautiful,” he said. “Thank you,” we said. “So, how long have you two been dating?” he asked. “We’ve been dating since 10th grade. We were best friends since kindergarten,” said Giana. “How lovely. And what are your majors?” he asked. “We’re both majoring in Music Performance. Vocal Performance, to be precise,” I said. “And you two are both trying to get on Broadway, right?” he asked. “Yes. Naomi is a Soprano, and I’m an Alto, so we’re probably not going to be in the same shows, though,” said Giana. “Well, either way, Rhys asked me to give you both singing lessons. So, who wants to go first?” he asked. “Actually, we were thinking about doing a duet,” I said. “That works, too. What did you have in mind?” he asked. “We were thinking about doing “In His Eyes” from  _Jekyll and Hyde_ ,” said Giana. “Oh, I love that song. Let me get the music and we can go through it,” he said. And a few minutes later, all three of us were at the piano as Laird began to play the introduction.

 

[In His Eyes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK4WsjmrJZU) (A/N: Naomi is Emma, and Giana is Lucy.)

 

_Emma_

I sit and watch the rain,

And see my tears run down the windowpane…

_Lucy_

I sit and watch the sky.

And I can hear it breathe a sign…

_Emma_

I think of him,

How we were…

And when I think of him,

Then I remember…

_Lucy/Emma_

Remember…

_Emma_

In his eyes I can see

Where my heart longs to be!

_Lucy_

In his eyes I see a gentle glow,

And that's where I'll be safe, I know!

_Emma_

Safe in his arms, close to his heart…

_Lucy_

But I don't know quite where to start…

_Emma_

By looking in his eyes,

Will I see beyond tomorrow?

_Lucy_

By looking in his eyes,

Will I see beyond the sorrow

That I feel?

_Emma_

Will his eyes reveal to me

Promises or lies?

_Lucy_

But he can't conceal from me

The love in his eyes!

_Emma_

I know their every look,

His eyes!

_Lucy_

They're like an open book,

His eyes!

_Lucy/Emma_

But most of all the look

That hypnotized me!

_Emma_

If I'm wise,

I will walk away,

And gladly…

_Lucy_

But, sadly,

I'm not wise,

It's hard to talk away

The mem'ries that you prize!

_Emma_

Love is worth forgiving for!

_Lucy_

Now I realize -

_Lucy/Emma_

Everything worth living for

Is there, in his eyes!

_Emma_

Love is worth forgiving for!

Now I realize -

_Lucy_

Now I realize

_Lucy/Emma_

Everything worth living for

Is there, in his eyes!

 

When Giana and I finished the song, Laird smiled. “Rhys is very lucky to have you two in his cast. Are you working on any productions right now?” he asked. “We’re working on  _Phantom of the Opera_ , as a matter of fact. Naomi is playing Christine, and I’m playing Meg,” said Giana. “And I assume that you both have private voice teachers?” he asked. “Mr. Martin is teaching Giana, but I actually don’t have a voice teacher, unfortunately. I’ve been trying to find one for a while now, but all the studios nearby are all full,” I said. “That doesn’t surprise me. The spring semester is usually the busiest time of the year for the private studios,” Laird paused for a moment, thinking. “You know, I’d be glad to take you under my wing, Naomi,” he said. My eyes widened. I couldn’t believe that Laird Mackintosh was actually asking to be my teacher! “Are you serious?!” I exclaimed. “Absolutely. I can tell that you have a ton of potential, Naomi. And with my guidance, I am confident that by the time you do your first performance, the audience will be amazed. So, what do you say?” he asked. I didn’t even have to think. I knew that I would probably never get an opportunity like this again. “I’d love to,” I said. Then, Laird got up and gave me a hug. “Thank you. I promise that you won’t regret your decision, Naomi,” he said. “I should probably give you my contact information. Do you have any paper? I’ve got a pen in my bag,” I said as I reached into my bag and pulled out the pen. “Yeah. Here you go,” he said as he handed me a sheet. And after I wrote down my email address and my phone number, I gave the sheet to him. “So, when would be the best time to do lessons?” I asked. “I’d say every Sunday should work. We don't have any shows on that day, so it’s not really that busy around here. How does 2:00 sound for you?” he asked. “That sounds fantastic,” I paused as I looked at my watch. “Oh, gosh! It’s almost 11:30! We better start heading back, Giana,” I said. “Yeah. We don’t want to miss curfew,” she said. “Well, it was nice meeting you both. I guess I’ll see you this Sunday, Naomi. Here’s my business card, by the way,” he said as he handed me the card. “Thanks. I look forward to our first lesson,” I said as we shook hands.

Once we were outside the theater, we called a taxi and headed back to the dorms. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that just happened!” I exclaimed. “I’m so happy for you, Naomi,” said Giana as we kissed.

 

A month and a half later

After a month and a half of taking lessons with Laird, it was the night of AMDA’s first performance of  _Phantom of the Opera_. I was shaking a little bit as I got ready to go onstage. Just as I finished my makeup, I heard a knock on the door. “The door’s open. Come on in,” I said. And when the door open, Laird walked in. “There’s my star,” he said as he gave me a quick hug. “Hello, Laird,” I said. “So, how are you feeling?” he asked. “Honestly, a little nervous,” I said. “That’s perfectly normal. It’s your first time being in a starring role. It happens to everyone. It even happened to me,” he said. “So, how do I get less nervous?” I asked. Laird crouched down beside my chair. “Close your eyes for me,” he said. Once I did that, I felt him take my hand. “You’re going to do fine, Naomi. We’ve gone over this for a month and a half now. You know this part like the back of your hand. I have the utmost confidence that you are going to be absolutely amazing out there,” he said. “Thanks,” I said as I opened my eyes. Then, I heard a stagehand give me the five minute call from outside my dressing room. “Well, I better go,” I said. But before I opened the door, Laird stopped me, giving me a quick kiss on the check. “Break a leg, Naomi,” he said. “Thanks, Laird,” I said as I walked out of my dressing room.

 

[Think of Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smoBzy_BdUQ) (A/N: Here is part of Naomi’s performance.)

 

Once it was finally time for me to take my bow, I got a standing ovation as I walked to the front of the stage. Someone (Laird, of course) even threw a rose at me. In that moment, I never felt more proud of myself. And it was all thanks to meeting the Phantom.


End file.
